Payment schemes for former police and prison officers in Northern Ireland who were injured on duty are "not fit for purpose", according to a report published today by the North's auditor general.
Kieran Donnelly, who is the head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office, said "substantial changes" were necessary if the schemes were to be affordable in the future.
The injury on duty schemes assess claims and award payments to former police and prison officers for injuries sustained while on duty.
The main type of injury award paid by the scheme is a one-off gratuity together with a monthly award which is normally payable for life.
Both schemes had seen costs "soar" in recent years, the report found. In 2018-19, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spent £33.9m and the Northern Ireland Prison Service £2.3m on injury on duty awards.
The total future financial liability is estimated at £448.4m for the PSNI and £52.8m for the prison service.
The report found that the nature of injuries has changed, and with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and hearing loss now among the most common injuries for which an award has been claimed.
It highlighted a number of issues, including the scale of claims in Northern Ireland, which is “significantly greater” than in Great Britain. In 2014 there were on average 10-15 claims a week by former police officers in the North, while the Metropolitan Police Service in London – with over 30,000 officers – received around 22 applications per year.
The PSNI scheme was also “complex and challenging to administer”, and the payment of injury awards was “not always equitable.”
There were also no time limits within which an application must be made, with the consequence that backdated awards had a “significant impact” on spending. The report cited one example from 2018-19 which dated back 25 years and which cost £429,000 in arrears alone.
The report noted that while action had been taken by the PSNI and the prison service to improve wellbeing and reduce the level of injuries sustained by officers, changes to the legislation would be necessary to ensure the schemes were efficient, affordable and properly controlled.
It recommended a “fundamental review” of the PSNI scheme – similar to an ongoing review of the prison service scheme – which should “provide greater clarity on the aims of the schemes, how they will be achieved and what checks and balances are required to ensure the appropriate use of public money.”
It also recommended the simplification of the scheme, and the introduction of a new case management system.
In the short term, the Department of Justice and Finance and the Northern Ireland Policing Board should take action to mitigate the issues arising within the current schemes, it recommended.
